Deny
by torzi-bom
Summary: Maia's unusually withdrawn behaviour is starting to worry Diana, and you can cut the sexual tension between Diana and Tom with a knife! Please R&R! TD goodness... but not fluff! [CHAPTER 5 UP NOW!]
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:** Hi everyone! Looks like I've ventured out of my shell and am finally cracking into some 4400 fan fic! Woooo0p! I usually stick to the Gilmore Girls and 24 categories, but season 2 has just started down here in oz, and let me tell you, I'M ADDICTED! So addicted in fact, that I went out last night and bought the first season on DVD… and have pretty much been watching it non-stop since!_

_Anyway, that's not the point of this author's note. The point, my dears, is to give a brief introduction to this fan fic. Alright. So, it's set after the first season, but I'm not sure how far… just not season two far! So anyway, yes, it's based around Diana, Maia and Tom (because, I mean, how can you NOT think Maia is adorable, and that her and Diana make such a cute mother-daughter pair. And Tom and Diana… well… did anything ever make any more sense?). So yeah… enjoy the fic, and make sure to let me know what you think after you've read it!_

_Love you all! Happy readings!_

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Diana sat at her desk late one night quietly going over Maia's dossier. She knew she probably shouldn't be – she had other things that needed doing, and she should probably go home, but something hadn't been right with Maia recently. Whenever Diana tried to even mention Maia's life before she was abducted, the little girl would go quiet and quickly excuse herself from the room. Diana hated pushing things with Maia, but at the moment there was something that she couldn't let go. She always tried to give the child her space, Diana hated intruding, but she was starting to feel more and more motherly towards Maia, something that Diana thought she would never feel – she certainly never expected to anyway. So she was looking through the dossier to find out if there were any problems, or anything, before Maia went missing.

"Hey, what are you still doing here?" Tom asked as he approached Diana, taking her by surprise.

"Oh, just looking at something," she said before quickly putting the dossier down underneath a few other papers. Tom just looked at her as she leant back in her chair and put her feet up on the desk.

"That was Maia's, wasn't it," he said straightly.

"What makes you say that?" Diana replied defensively.

"Don't worry, I've looked through Shawn's 100 times," Tom said. Diana just smiled a little in reply. They were quiet for a moment before Diana spoke.

"She's been acting a little weird lately," she told Tom, not sure why she was going to open up to him. There was just something about him that made her feel like she could talk about anything.

"Isn't she always weird?" Tom said, attempting a joke, only getting a stern look from Diana in response. "Sorry, continue."

"Whenever I bring up her life before she went missing she goes all silent. But not silent like she normally is, it's more like a sad silence… you know?" Diana said, hoping that Tom would be able to understand what she was saying; she was having a little trouble herself.

"Yeah, Shawn's a little touchy too."

"No, but I don't mean just a little touchy, I mean upset. I wish I could help her… I simply don't know how, I'm not use to this whole parental thing… oh no, what if she knows something bad is going to happen? And she's never wrong in her premonitions," Diana said, panic starting to creep into her state of mind. Tom quickly tried his best to brush that away.

"Well you said she goes quiet when you talk about her past – so it can't be any sort of premonition thing," Tom offered. This seemed to calm Diana. She sighed a little.

"Yeah I spose," she replied. Suddenly noticing how much she had told Tom she quickly sat up and tried to avoid his gaze.

"Yeah… um, sorry, I shouldn't be dumping all this on you," Diana said.

"Don't worry, I don't mind," Tom replied, sitting on the edge of Diana's desk. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable with him in such close proximity, and stood up.

"Right, well, I better get home to Maia, I'm late as it is," she said, straightening herself up a little and picking up her bag.

"Ah, yeah," Tom replied, standing up too.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said quickly.

"Tomorrow," Tom replied, as Diana rushed out of the office.

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Diana called out as she arrived home, "Sorry I'm late Clarisse; I got tied up at work." Clarisse, Maia's current babysitter, and Maia came out of the kitchen as Diana shut the door.

"Thanks Clarisse, I'll see you tomorrow," Diana said as Clarisse smiled at her and headed towards the door.

"Bye Clarisse," Maia said.

"Bye," she replied, quickly slipping out the door. Diana let out a sigh and put her bag down on the table. Maia watched her for a moment.

"Don't worry, things will get better," she said, out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" Diana said, turning towards Maia.

"With Tom," Maia replied simply, before sitting down at the table. Diana was caught a little of guard by this comment, but brushed it off as she approached Maia, wrapping her arms around her in a hug.

"Did you have fun with Clarisse today?" Diana asked, still hugging the girl tightly.

"We left you some dinner," Maia replied, as Diana broke away from the hug and walked towards the kitchen.

"Great, thankyou," Diana said, spotting the bowl of pasta sitting on the counter. Noticing it had gone cold, she quickly popped it in the microwave.

"Sorry I'm back so late, I had a few things I had to do at work," Diana said, standing next to the microwave, waiting for her pasta to heat up, and watching Maia as she sat at the table, coloring in her coloring book.

"I know," Maia replied, still looking down and coloring. The microwave beeped and Diana took out her pasta, headed towards the table and sat opposite Maia. They were quiet for a while, Diana eating her dinner and Maia coloring.

"You know, I think we might be able to get you enrolled in school again, that would be nice, wouldn't it," Diana said between mouthfuls.

"I suppose," Maia replied, her eyes never leaving her coloring.

"Are you okay?" Diana asked, carefully watching Maia. The little girl didn't reply, she just continued staring down at her coloring book, moving her crayon back and forward.

"You know, it's alright to tell me if something's bothering you," Diana offered.

"I know," she replied, still intently coloring.

"So do you want to talk about it?" Diana continued.

"Not really," Maia replied, and Diana nodded, going back to her pasta and respecting the girl's privacy. She still desperately wanted to know what was troubling Maia, but she thought it best to wait until she was ready to talk.

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Diana rushed into the bullpen, trying to keep the strap of her handbag over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she said as she hurried towards Tom.

"Where have you been?" Tom asked, crossing his arms angrily.

"Sorry, I overslept, had no clean clothes, I think I put my camisole on backwards, the babysitter was late, and don't even TALK to me about the traffic," she replied, out of breath, putting her bag down with a huff. Tom inspected her, with one hand on his hip. Diana noticed this, and recoiled back a little.

"What? You checking me out?" she sniggered.

"No, you just seem… frazzled," he replied.

"Geez, thanks," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No I mean, like more hectic."

"I'm failing to see how that's any better," she replied.

"Never mind," Tom said, brushing it off. Diana shrugged internally and turned her focus to work.

"So what have we got so far?" she asked.

"Felicity Rogers, age 16, disappeared 15th April 1985…"

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Tom rubbed his eyes tiredly as he walked from his office on his way out. As he passed Diana's office, he looked through the window to find her with her feet up on the desk, head back and eyes closed, obviously asleep. Tom stopped and smirked, and made his way inside. As he got closer he could hear her breathing slowly in and out through her slightly open mouth. He sniggered to himself quietly, and sat down on the edge of her desk. He watched her for a moment, in wonder. This was the first time he'd ever seen her completely still and completely silent. Normally she was always dishing out some witty comment, or rushing about on a case. So he treasured the silence. But only for a little while.

He smiled to himself before saying loudly, "Diana!" She immediately woke with a start, her feet quickly coming off the desk as she sat up straight. Tom laughed to himself. She figured out what had happened and gasped angrily.

"That was mean!" she exclaimed.

"I know, I'm sorry," Tom chuckled. She blinked her eyes a few times and cleared her throat.

"What time is it?" she asked, looking at her watch.

"Late," Tom replied, "looks like someone fell asleep on the job."

"I was just gathering my stuff to go home, and I was so tired so I just sat down for a moment…"

"And that moment turned into… what, two hours?" he said with a smirk.

Diana frowned, "more like two and a half." She let out a sigh and stood up, looking for where she put her bag.

"I've just been so tired recently," she added, "I could hardly sleep at all last night, worried about Maia, and then I was in such a rush this morning… I guess I'm just worn out."

"How are things going with Maia? Has she talked to you yet?" Tom enquired.

"No," Diana replied sadly, "I spose I'll try and talk to her tonight – if I don't fall asleep as soon as I get through the door." Tom let out a chuckle and stood up.

"Well, I better get home too. But, ah… you know, if you ever need to talk to anyone about anything… I'm always here," he offered.

"Thankyou," Diana replied with an appreciative smile, and laid a hand on his upper arm gratefully. She gently rubbed his arm, before throwing her arms around him in a hug. He hugged her back tightly, and they stood like that for a moment, probably a bit longer than they should have, and enjoying it a little more than they should have, and when they pulled away, their faces were mere centimetres apart. They shakily stood there, so close they could feel each other's breath hitting their cheeks. Diana looked up and slowly met Tom's eyes, and she could swear he has about to lean in closer, but she quickly looked away uncomfortably and pulled out of his arms.

"I… need to go. I'll see you tomorrow," she said awkwardly, quickly escaping the office, making sure to avoid all eye contact with Tom.

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_**A/N:** Can you say 'sexual tension' or WHAT! Well there you have it, capitolo uno! Hope you liked it, please review and let me know what you thought, and be sure to visit the gift shop on your way out._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

_**A/N: **Hey everyone! Thanks for all the awesome reviews! For a category of these size, eight reviews is MONUMENTAL! Now, I've heard a rumour going around that we're not allowed to respond to reviewers.. :s (and those of you that know me from other categories know how I LOVE to do this). So, just a quick shout out, thankyou all very much, and please keep them coming!_

_And now, on with chapter two!_

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Diana closed her front door and leant against it, eyes closed, and let out a deep sigh. Maia came towards her with a smile on her face. Diana opened her eyes and smiled back. She met Maia and bent down, encasing her in a tight hug.

"Boy am I glad to see you," Diana said, relieved to finally be home.

"It's been a long day," Maia added.

"It sure has. I'm sorry I'm home from work so late again. I kinda… fell asleep at my desk," Diana admitted. Maia giggled in response.

"I promise I'll try and come home from work on time from now on," Diana offered. At that moment, Clarisse, Maia's babysitter came out from the kitchen and they exchanged goodbyes before she left. Diana and Maia moved to sit at the table.

"So, tell me all about what you and Clarisse did today," Diana said, turning her full attention to Maia.

"Well, we went to the park, then we went to a movie, then we came home and played board games and made a cake," the girl replied.

"A cake? We had the ingredients here to actually do that?" Diana asked, surprised.

"No, we bought the ingredients while we were out," Maia replied.

"I see. Well, it sounds like you had a fun day then."

"I did."

"Good. Oh hey, guess what, I made some calls today, and it looks like we can get a teacher to come and teach you at home," Diana informed the girl.

"Oh," Maia replied.

"So that'll be fun right, to be back at school again."

"I guess," the child said sombrely. "Well, how was your day?"

"Quite uneventful," Diana said drearily. Maia smiled to herself. She knew better.

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Diana awoke in the middle of the night to a loud scream coming from Maia's room. She immediately jumped up and rushed out of bed, running into the girl's room. She found Maia sitting up in bed, breathing heavily, tears streaming down her cheeks. Diana without delay hurried down to sit next to her, and pulled her into a tight hug.

"What's the matter sweetheart? Bad dream?" Diana asked, rocking Maia slowly back and forth in her arms. The weeping girl nodded and cried into Diana's shoulder.

"Mommy," she whimpered.

"It's alright, I'm here now, I'm here now," Diana whispered comfortingly.

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The light streaming through the curtains awoke Diana the next morning. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, before turning to look at the girl lying asleep beside her. Maia had refused to go back to bed alone, so Diana had carried her into her own room, and she had slept the night there. Diana looked over to the clock – 9:39am. Seeing as it was Saturday, she was hoping for a longer sleep-in, but she promised Maia that they'd go to the park, after her constant persistence that they go at 10:30am. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and gently nudged the quiet form beside her. Maia stirred and opened her eyes slowly, looking up at Diana.

"Morning sleepy," Diana said with a small smile. Maia sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"You feeling okay this morning sweetie?" she asked, brushing down Maia's wayward morning hair. The girl nodded in reply. She wrapped her arms around Diana's waist, causing her to be slightly taken aback at the action. She hugged Maia back all the same, and, when Maia looked across Diana to the alarm clock, she jumped up in excitement.

"Quick!" Maia said, "we have to hurry if we want to get there on time!"

"Where on time?" Diana asked, confused.

"The park," Maia replied with a smile, before rushing out of the room.

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"Hurry, hurry!" Maia said, jumping at the door.

"Hold on, I'm just getting my jacket," Diana replied, looking through her closet.

"You don't need a jacket," Maia replied stubbornly.

"Maia!" Diana replied, with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"The sun is gonna come out. Now hurry, please!" she urged.

"What is your rush?" Diana asked, giving up on the jacket idea and heading towards the door.

"No reason."

"Don't you want your jacket?" Diana asked. Maia shook her head quickly. "You will freeze!"

Maia just shook her head again and stood there in her orange t-shirt and jeans. Diana on the other hand was wearing jeans, a brown belt and a long-sleeved boat-neck green top, with her hair out. She quickly grabbed her keys from the table and pushed them into her pocket before opening the front door, allowing Maia to escape out into the hallway.

"Hey, wait for me!" Diana called, shutting the door behind her and shaking her head as Maia disappeared around the corner.

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"Bye Tony!" Maia said with a wave as her and Diana headed away from Tony's stand. He waved in response, with his arm around his girlfriend.

"What time is it?" Maia asked Diana, for the 100th time.

"About two minutes since you last asked me," Diana replied, "why are you so obsessed with what time it is today?"

Maia didn't reply, she just looked around, like she was expecting to see something.

Diana sighed and said, "It's 10:56."

"Thankyou," Maia smiled, and slowed her pace a little. Diana shook her head in wonder. They continued walking for a minute, quietly, and then Maia spotted something, and quickly grabbed Diana's hand and started running.

"Maia!" Diana called, surprised, as Maia dragged her along. As they approached the corner Maia stopped suddenly and regained a normal pace.

"What on earth is going on?" Diana questioned. But as soon as they rounded the corner, Diana knew the answer. Heading towards them was none other than Tom Baldwin. He spotted them and gave a surprised smile.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" he asked. Maia beamed.

"We're on our way to the park," Diana replied. "Yourself?"

"Just going for walk. Seemed like a nice day for it," Tom said. "Kyle's still in quarantine… so there was nothing else I could really do."

"Come to the park with us," Maia butted in.

"If that's alright with Diana," Tom replied to Maia, glancing over to Diana with a smile.

"I don't see why not," she replied, a smile starting to creep onto her face.

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As Maia was off feeding the ducks by the pond, Diana and Tom went for their own 'grown-ups' walk. They were careful not to venture too far from Maia – Diana didn't really want to take an eye off her.

"So, this is the casual Diana, huh?" Tom said playfully. Diana chuckled.

"Take it or leave it," she replied with a smile.

"I'll take it," Tom laughed.

"And casual Tom," she replied.

"Oh come on, you've seen casual Tom before," Tom said. Diana laughed.

"Not when he refers to himself in the third person," she teased. Tom brushed off the comment with a playfully offended snigger.

"See, I'm not all that bad outside work. I don't bite."

"Hard," Tom replied. Diana gasped and slapped him on the shoulder. Tom winced.

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Yes you did," Diana said, crossing her arms trying to warm herself up. "So much for it's going to get warmer… I so should have brought that jacket."

"What?" Tom enquired.

"Oh, it's nothing," Diana said fleetingly, "Maia just told me I wouldn't need my jacket because the weather was going to heat up. Looks like this is the first prediction she's got wrong."

No sooner had she said that, than the sun came out through the clouds, lighting up the park brilliantly.

"Maybe not," she added.

"So, coincidence running into you today, and here, of all places," Tom said.

"I'm starting to think it's not," Diana replied.

"What makes you say that?"

"Maia knew we were going to bump into you," Diana said.

"Did she tell you that?" Tom asked.

"No, she was just rushing me all morning, and constantly asking the time, and speeding up and slowing down according to what time it was, all excited. She must really like you Tom," she said.

"Or maybe she thinks someone else does," Tom replied, looking at her. Diana turned her head to make eye contact with him, and brushed a piece of hair the wind was blowing, out of her face. They kept walking, looking at each other for a moment, before Diana looked down and put her hands in her pockets. Tom then immediately looked away, made uncomfortable by their long stare. They continued walking in silence, and Maia ran up to them. Diana sighed in relief as she approached, breaking the awkward silence.

"The ducks eaten all your food?" she asked Maia.

"Yep. Didn't I tell you the sun would come out?" Maia smiled.

"You sure did…"

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As Diana, Maia and Tom approached Diana and Maia's apartment building, Maia quickly ran inside, leaving Diana and Tom alone. They stopped outside the door and turned to face each other.

"So…" Diana started, "you know, you really didn't have to walk us back, we can take care of ourselves."

"I know, but it was on my way, so I may as well have…"

"Well… thanks," she replied sincerely. "Who knew Tom Baldwin could be human?"

This evoked a small snigger from Tom. "Who knew," he added. They both stood quietly for a minute. For some reason, this felt like the end of a date, both of them awkward, not really knowing what to do next.

"I guess I'll see you at work on Monday," Diana said quietly, breaking the silent tension. Tom let out a small disappointed sigh. He was somehow hoping there would be something more than a 'see you'.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," he replied, placing a hand on Diana's arm caringly, before walking away. Diana let out a deep sigh and turned into the building after Maia.

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_**A/N:** Well my darlings, that was chapter two… feedback is always appreciated! Let me know if you like the URST, if you want them to get together faster, etc, etc._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

_**A/N: **Wow! Another abundance of reviews! You are all such champions! Thankyou all very, very much! Now once again, I don't think I'm allowed to respond to you all individually :( so, a bit shout out of thanks to all of you, I really appreciate all your feedback, and it just spurs me on to write more!_

_Anyway, on with the story!_

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"Thanks for running off on me," Diana said sarcastically as she rounded the corner in the hallway of the apartment building to find Maia waiting at the door.

"Did he kiss you?" Maia asked excitedly.

"Excuse me!" Diana questioned, her eyes widening and a small chuckle escaping her lips at Maia's blatant asking.

"Did he kiss you?"

Diana shook her head with a chuckle and a sigh as she put the key in the door and opened it. "If you knew we were going to bump into him today, shouldn't you already know the answer to your own question?"

"So that's a yes!" Maia asked with a grin.

"That's a no. And I don't think I would have wanted him to, anyway," Diana lied. Maia pouted as they walked inside, Diana a few steps ahead of her.

"Well why not?" she asked.

"Because… because it's Tom," Diana tried to reason.

"I thought that would've been a good thing," Maia replied.

Diana let out a deep sigh, and placed the keys on the table before sitting down. "I dunno," she said. Maia came and joined her. "So did you enjoy today?"

"Very much," the girl replied.

"Well that's good then," Diana commented. They sat quietly for a moment, both just mulling over their own thoughts.

"Look, I've been meaning to ask you," Diana said, "about that bad dream you had last night. Did you maybe wanna talk about it? About what made you so upset?"

Maia looked down at her hands sadly.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Diana added.

"I dreamt about my mother. Not you, my old mom," Maia said quietly. Diana smiled at the sentiment that Maia may consider her as her mother.

"And my dad too. I dreamt that they forgot about me and had a whole other family, and I came back to them and they didn't want me," she continued. Diana sighed and knelt down in front of Maia.

"Is that what's been bothering you lately? You miss your parents?" she asked. Maia nodded in reply.

"I'm sure they _never_ forgot about you. I bet they thought about you everyday and thought about how much they love you. I mean, how could they not? You're the most wonderful little girl in the world," Diana said, running her hand lovingly over Maia's hair. Her sad frown slowly began to disappear and Diana smiled, pulling Maia into a tight hug.

When they pulled away, Diana decided it was time to broach a subject she had been considering for a while.

"Look, I've been thinking," she started, "how would you like to be a real family?"

"What do you mean?" Maia asked.

"Well… what if I was your mom, for real?"

A smile crept onto Maia's face, "you mean you'd adopt me?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"I would love that more than anything," Maia grinned. Diana let out a deep sigh she didn't even realise she was holding and smiled right back. Maia threw her arms around her neck and squeezed Diana tightly. She was getting a family back.

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The doorbell rang as Diana and Maia were eating dinner that night.

"I'll get it!" Maia said, jumping up quickly.

"No, I'll… oh alright," Diana said, Maia already halfway towards the door. She opened it a tiny amount, sticking her head through the door, so Diana couldn't see who it was.

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong address," she said quickly. The person on the other side said something else, but Diana couldn't make out what it was. So she got up, and headed over to the door curiously.

"Maia, who is it?" she asked.

"It's no one," she quickly replied.

"Maia?" Diana walked closer to the door and opened it further, despite Maia trying to push it closed. Diana smiled when she saw what was on the other side.

"Hi," she said giddily. Standing in front of her was an _extremely_ handsome, tall man, with middle brown hair and stunning blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Peter," he said. Diana swooned.

"I… I'm…"

"She's Diana," Maia said slightly bitterly.

"Well hello Diana," he replied. "I'm guessing by the fact that you and this darling little girl answered the door, that I have the wrong address."

"Oh," Diana managed to say.

"I'm looking for my sister, Lucy Gordon?" he said.

"Oh, ah," Diana started, regaining her composure, "she lives two doors down."

"I apologise. Thankyou for your assistance," he said with a gorgeous smile.

"It's no trouble, really…" Diana replied.

"Well I'm just gonna go… see my sister then…" he said. "It was nice meeting you Diana."

"You too," she replied, before closing the door and leaning against it, letting out a deep sigh. Maia pouted and walked heavily back to the table. Diana took a minute to compose herself. She was never usually this ditzy and completely mindless around a man before, in fact, she'd never been, but he was just so polite and _so_ attractive – she'd lost all control over her brain.

"Are you going to finish your dinner?" Maia said, breaking Diana out of her reverie.

"Ah, yeah," she replied, walking over to the table. She sat down and began eating, staring out into space. Maia sighed and frowned, then continued eating her mashed potatoes.

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Diana crept into Maia's room later that night in her pyjamas, to check the girl was asleep. As she approached the bed she could see Maia had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply and slowly, obviously asleep. She planted a soft kiss on her forehead before exiting the room as quickly as she'd came, pulling the door almost closed on her way. She grabbed the trash and made her way out into the hallway, quickly looking around to make sure no one would see her creeping about in her pyjamas. She walked down the hall to the trash disposal, and when she was almost there, a door opened and someone came out. Just Diana's luck, it was –

"Peter!" she said in surprise, embarrassed that he'd caught her sneaking around in her pjs.

"Diana, hi," he replied with a smile, "we meet again."

"That we do. I'm just… taking out the trash," she said nervously.

"So I noticed. Do you want some -"

"Oh no, I'm fine -"

"Are you sure, cos I can -"

"No I'm fine, really," she said, both of them fumbling with the trash, Peter trying to help. She quickly put the trash down the chute, which was only a few steps away. "See, easy."

"So, um… fancy seeing you again out here in… pyjamas," he pointed out. Diana blushed a little.

"Oh well, it's late, I was just taking out the trash before I went to bed," she replied.

"Understandable," he said.

"Ok, well, I better get back inside, before anyone else sees me," Diana said, taking a step towards Peter to get past. But he didn't move. Instead they stood only centimetres apart.

"I better get home too," he said, not doing anything about it, instead leaning in closer.

"I just, need to…" but Diana didn't get to finish her thought, instead Peter's lips met hers, cutting her off. She immediately reciprocated, eagerly kissing him back. By the time they broke away they were both breathing quickly.

"So, umm… I'm coming back tomorrow afternoon to visit my sister… maybe we could go out for dinner?" he said, still holding her closely, her face close to his.

"That would be… great," Diana smiled, looking into his eyes. She shyly pulled out of his arms and backed away towards her door, a giddy grin on her face.

"So tomorrow then," Peter said, "seven?"

"Seven's perfect," she replied, leaning against her doorway.

"Seven it is," he said with a smile, and Diana quickly retreated into her apartment and closed the door with a happy sigh.

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_**A/N:** Soooo… a new love interest for Diana! What will happen? What will Tom say when he finds out? Will he be jealous? Let's hope so! Let me know what you think dears, I'm a bit of a feedback junkie!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

_**A/N: **Yay! You guys ROCK with those reviews! Keep 'em coming, I say! Thankyou so much, once again, you inspire me to keep writing…_

_On another note, can I just say how much I LOVE the song the used in the finale – This is your life by Switchfoot. It is SO awesome! Christian music is just getting better and better, huh!_

_And also, on a 4400 music note… did anyone else find the song Jacqueline McKenzie sung kinda… weird? You know, the one that was in the background of the Diana/Marco scene. It just… I dunno. Weird is the only word I can think of… let me know what you guys thought of it._

_Anyway, on with the story – no Peter in this chapter – woooo0p! (I don't really like him either guys, so don't stress!) Good things are to come, so hold on!_

_**Right now:** I'm floating on 'Nothing But The Sky' by IVY. Check it out…_

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Diana and Maia sat at the table eating lunch the following day, Maia reading the paper, and Diana off in her own little dream world. It was usually the other way around, but tonight was Diana's date with Peter, and it was the only thing she could think about.

"Diana?" Maia said.

"Mmm?" Diana replied dreamily.

"Your elbow's in your salad," she pointed out. Diana snapped out of her reverie and looked at her elbow, now with a dab of mayonnaise on the end.

"Oh, damn," she said, quickly getting up and going into the kitchen to wipe it off. At that moment, the doorbell rang, and Diana let out an aggravated sigh.

"Maia, could you get that sweetie? And don't forget what I told you about the chain," Diana called from the kitchen. Maia got up with a smile; she didn't need to worry about the chain, she already knew who was on the other side of the door. She opened it without hesitation.

"Oh hi Maia," Tom said, turning his gaze down, after expecting someone to be at his eye level.

"Hi Tom," she replied with a wide grin.

"Where's Diana?" he asked curiously.

"She's wiping mayonnaise off her elbow," Maia pointed out. Tom let out an amused chuckle, before Maia showed him in.

"Tom, is that you?" Diana said, coming out of the kitchen, wiping her elbow.

"The one and only," he replied, smiling when he spotted her dressed casually again.

"What brings you to my part of town?" she asked flirtatiously.

Tom then remembered the reason for his visit, and his smiled faded. "We've been called in to work. There's been a report of a 4400 rape."

"Oh my god."

"I tried calling your cell, but it was off, and your home line was busy," Tom said.

"Busy?" Diana replied, perplexed. Maia grinned to herself, pleased that she had taken the phone off the hook so Tom would have to come over.

"You must have left it off the hook or something," he said. "Look, I hate to put you on the spot like this, but it's urgent."

"Oh definitely. Umm… I just need to figure something out for Maia," Diana thought out loud.

"I can come with you," Maia proposed.

"Sweetie, I would love that, but we're probably not gonna be in the office, and I don't want you getting bored," Diana replied.

"What about Marco?" Maia asked.

"Yes, excellent. I'll call him. God, I hate to put him out like this, but I suppose it's my only choice," Diana said, picking up the portable phone, which, as it happened, was already turned on. She quickly turned it off then on and dialled Marco's number once she heard the dial tone.

"Hello?"

"Marco, I need you to do me a _huge_ favour," Diana pleaded.

"Anything for you, Skouris," he flirted.

"Can you come over and watch Maia? I have to go in to work and I need someone here," she asked.

"Umm… well, I spose I'll have to cancel my hot date…"

"Marco…"

"I'm joking, that should be fine. How long do you think you're going to be out for?" he asked.

"I don't know…" she replied, turning her attention to Tom, "how long?" she asked.

"Back before morning…?" he said tentatively.

"Looks like it's gonna be another night job Marco," Diana said hesitantly.

"That'll be fine. Just set me up with a good movie and a board game and me and Maia should be fine," he replied.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be ruining your evening," she said.

"Spending time with Maia is a lot better than spending time with my computer. Really, the pleasure will be all mine. I can be over in 10 minutes," he replied.

"Thankyou _so much_ Marco," Diana said gratefully, "thankyou, thankyou, thankyou."

"No problems," he replied before she hung up.

"Looks like you've brightened up another sit-at-home night for Marco again…" Tom said with a bit of a smirk.

"Tom, play nice. He's a sweet guy. Reminds me of my little brother," Diana said thoughtfully.

"You have a brother?" Maia asked curiously.

"Two," Diana replied. Maia smiled sanguinely.

"Well, I suppose you better finish your lunch," Tom said, gesturing towards the half-eaten plate of salad.

"Yeah, Marco's not gonna be here for another 10 minutes anyway," Diana replied, heading over to the table. "You want anything?"

"Oh no, I'm fine," Tom replied.

"Well come and sit with us anyway," Diana said, gesturing to the seat between her and the newly seated Maia. Tom obliged and took a seat between the two most important females in his life. He didn't like to admit it, but he often thought about Maia, and definitely about Diana a lot more than he probably should. They were almost like a second family to him. Well, at least Diana was anyway. But recently, he felt himself forming a bit of a bond with Maia, in fact, he almost found himself loving her as if she were his own.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Diana and Tom entered the office late that night, both exhausted. Diana slumped into her chair and put her hand over her eyes. Tom looked at his watch.

"It's pretty late, I guess we can pick this up tomorrow," Tom said with a sigh. Diana uncovered her eyes and looked at her watch, then her eyes widened in horror.

"Oh no! Peter!"

"What?"

"Dammit!" Diana cursed, "he was supposed to pick me up five hours ago!"

"Pick you up for what?" Tom asked, confused, as Diana picked up the phone and started dialling Marco's cell number. She then quickly stopped, realising it would be too late to call.

"For a date?" Tom added.

"Yeah," Diana replied distractedly. A pang of jealously immediately struck Tom.

"Oh. So... this your first date with him? Or second, or -"

"First," Diana replied. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

"I was just wondering why you hadn't mentioned him yet, that's all," Tom lied.

"Well we only met yesterday," she said.

"Yesterday? Gee that was fast," Tom said, a little hurt that she had jumped to go out with this guy so quickly, and so far hadn't considered _him_ at all.

"What? Are you passing judgement Tom?" Diana replied defensively.

"No, no, I just… want to make sure this guy is good enough for you, that's all," he said.

Diana scoffed, "Sorry, I wasn't aware you were my father."

"Diana…"

"Tom, I'm a big girl, you don't need to worry about me. And besides, we haven't even gone out on one date yet!"

"Alright. I'm just… looking after my partner, that's all," Tom reasoned. Diana gave him a grateful smile.

"Well, thankyou. It's nice to know you can actually tolerate me now," Diana said with a slightly cheeky smile. Tom rolled his eyes.

"I could always tolerate you. Now, I just don't mind tolerating you," he replied playfully. She flashed him a mischievous grin before gathering her stuff to leave.

"I don't mind tolerating you either," she said compassionately, even while she felt a lot more than just tolerance towards him – though she wasn't quite ready to admit that to herself yet.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

_**A/N:** And there it is! Sorry it was only brief, but the new part sort of moves on, and I wanted to keep that separate. aaanyway, make sure to review and let me know what you think!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

_**A/N:** Hello again! Thanks for all the reviews! As those of you who are regular readers have probably figured out, I tend to update every Monday. But, I didn't last Monday for two reasons: 1) I didn't have as many reviews as I would have liked, so I decided to wait another week as people probably had a busy week and hadn't found the time to read and review yet, and 2) I hadn't quite finished the chapter yet. lol! So yeah, please keep those reviews coming, and I'll keep the story coming! I know this sounds like a lie, but it really does inspire me to write more. And at the moment I have a few new ideas brewing for another fic… but I'll try and get this one under my belt before I get starting anything new:p_

_Anyway, this one takes a little jump ahead (because, well, it needed to), but I'm sure it won't throw you off! Please take the time to review when you're done, I always love hearing from you!_

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

**Two months later**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Diana and Maia sat quietly watching TV one evening. Things had been pretty busy recently. Maia had started school again, a teacher coming to their home every day. And Diana had been constantly in and out making plans for the adoption, etc.

Their show ended, and Diana quickly switched off the TV and turned to face Maia.

"So…" she said, "tomorrow. It's the big day." Maia turned to face her and nodded in reply.

"Are you sure you still wanna do this?" she asked nervously. Maia nodded again.

"Are you?" she asked back.

"Positive," cane Diana's strong reply. She was about to say something else when the doorbell rang, forcing her to get up and answer it. She opened the door, and on the other side was –

"Marty!" she said, surprised. He flashed back a grin.

"Shouldn't you be at college?" she asked.

"Finito, sisso," he replied, walking inside and engulfing Diana in a ferocious hug.

"Graduation was yesterday," he added.

"Yesterday!" Diana said, "why didn't you tell me! I would've come! Were mom and dad there?"

"Were they at _your_ graduation?"

"Good point," Diana replied. At the moment Marty spotted Maia coming towards him.

"Oh hello, who's this little lady?" he asked.

"That's Maia, remember?"

"Should I?"

"I only called you last week to give you an update, Marty. That's why you're here, isn't it? Maia's party?"

"Ohhh! Maia! Your kid!" Marty replied, finally catching on. Diana rolled her eyes at her little brother's stupidity.

"Well come here then," he said to Maia, stretching his arms out, "we're family now!"

"Almost," Diana added, "from tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's close enough, now come give uncle Marty a hug!" he demanded. Maia smiled shyly as she approached him, and he wrapped his arms around her ferociously, just like he had Diana.

"It's nice to meet you," Maia said sweetly.

"And polite too!" Marty said with a smile.

"So," Diana said, approaching the two, "you moving back home then?"

"Mmm… no. No, no… no. Actually I was wondering if -"

"Marty, no -"

"- I could stay here with you for a while?" he asked, cringing.

"No, Marty, can't you stay with one of your techie buddies?" Diana asked.

"They live in Wisconsin. I don't blend well with the heartland," he replied.

"Well can't you rent out a – what happened to your glasses?"

"What glasses?"

"Since you were four years-old you've worn glasses – where are they?" she asked. Marty grinned mischievously.

"Contact lenses. They're revolutionary. They got me laid."

"MARTY!" Diana gasped, her eyes widening.

"What? They did."

"Not in front of Maia…"

"Oh… sorry," he cringed.

"Maia, sweetheart, do you want to go get changed into your pyjamas? I need to have a little chat with uncle Marty…" she said pointedly. Maia obliged and scurried off to her room.

"Please, Di, please, please, please," Marty begged, dropping to his knees in front of his sister. She looked at him, arms crossed defiantly.

"On three conditions," she offered.

"Got it."

"Number one, no talking about getting laid in front of my daughter, or me for that matter, or anything else inappropriate."

"Done."

"Number two, do NOT mess with my computer again and install useless programs -"

"Frogger was not useless -"

"- or mess with any other electrical appliance, or quite frankly _anything_ in this house."

"Fine," he sighed.

"And number three, never _ever_ wear that t-shirt again," she said, pointing to his Spock t-shirt, "I do not want it advertised that my brother is a Trekkie."

"Never again," he replied, his hands clasped begging in front of Spock's larger-than-life face. Diana let out a heavy sigh.

"Alright, you can stay," she gave in.

"Thankyou!" he said, jumping up.

"But only temporarily."

"Temporarily, got it," he said, wrapping Diana in a hug.

"It's good to see you again, sis."

"Good to see you too," she replied, hugging him back.

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Diana, Maia and Marty sat at the table that night eating dinner, Maia constantly throwing questions at Marty. Diana just sat back, amused, observing the two.

"How old are you?" Maia asked inquisitively.

"22."

"What college did you go to?" she pried.

"Stanford," he replied.

"Is that a good one?" she asked, naively. Diana and Marty chuckled.

"Yeah, it's a good one," Marty smiled.

"Did you have fun?"

"Occasionally, yes, we were allowed to have fun," he replied playfully.

"Did you have a girlfriend?"

"A few," he said, casting a quick glance in Diana's direction.

"Do you have a girlfriend now?" she asked. Diana looked up at this comment and glanced at Marty with a smirk.

"Not right now, no…" he replied with a small sigh.

"Diana has a boyfriend. His name's Peter," Maia said with a hint of distaste in her voice. Diana turned to Maia, eyes wide. She was obviously not meant to let that cat out of the bag.

"Does she now?" Marty smirked. Diana shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"Well, we've only been together for two months, I didn't think it was worth mentioning," she added.

"It feels longer," Maia said bitterly.

"Maia!" Diana scolded.

"Don't you like him?" Marty asked his niece. She hated him.

"He's okay," she shrugged. Diana let out an audible sigh. She hated the fact that Maia and Peter didn't get along. Peter was as sweet as pie, but Maia just didn't return the affection. Diana didn't like to admit it, but she thought Maia's distaste for Peter might have something to do with Tom.

There was an awkward silence at the table before Diana broke it by getting up and collecting everyone's plates.

"Marty, do you want to help me in the kitchen?" she said pointedly.

"Umm… sure," he replied, getting up and following his sister.

"So…" Marty started as soon as they entered the kitchen, "who's this Peter guy, huh?"

Diana turned around to face him and sighed. "Maia doesn't like him."

"I sorta got that impression."

"I don't know why she doesn't, he's been nothing but nice to her," she reasoned.

"Well, kids just don't like some people, Di, that's the way they are," Marty replied.

"I think she liked it when it was just the two of us. I think she's almost… threatened by him. Scared that he'll take me away," she mused.

"That could be it. But hey, I just met the kid, so don't ask me. She certainly asks enough questions, doesn't she!" he chuckled.

"Yeah she does," Diana replied, putting the dishes in the sink. "So, you, what are your big plans?"

"Plans? Martin Skouris doesn't live by plan."

"Yeah, I'd figured that out," Diana chuckled.

"I dunno. I was thinking about doing the kinda stuff you do."

"Awww," Diana cooed, pinching his cheek, "isn't that cute!"

"Well you know me, can't have an original thought of my own. I had to follow in _someone's_ footsteps," he said.

"Huh, thank god it wasn't April's," Diana replied with a small snigger. An awkward silence followed.

"How is she?" Diana asked, slightly sheepishly.

"She's doing alright. I spoke to her last week," he replied.

"Is she coming tomorrow?" Diana asked.

"I told her about it, but… I don't think so," he said. Diana frowned.

"On a lighter note, Trevor's completely out of the picture," Marty pointed out, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't really work.

"Took her long enough. That guy was such a moron."

"Di… he was alright."

"He wasn't alright, he treated her like crap, and he treated the rest of us with zero respect," Diana said adamantly.

"He wasn't that bad…"

"He most certainly was -"

"Okay, let's talk about something else. Maybe April isn't the best of topics. What about Maia? I'm sure you'll be one of those parents that constantly brags about their child," Marty said playfully. Diana slapped him on the shoulder in mock shock and continued clearing up.

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

_**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed chapter five, my dears! Please press that little review button on your way out! A quick hint of things to come… we meet more of the Skouris family, and touch on a sore point between them… keep reading to find out more!_


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